Entrepreneurship (BS)
This major is being discontinued and will not accept new students after September 30, 2020. Students who have declared this major prior to September 30, 2020 will use these standards to complete the program requirements.
Introduction
The Entrepreneurship Major at Canisius University includes the study of subjects traditional business programs rarely cover, such as how to start new business and how to run a small growth company. The major offers an integrated curriculum which draws upon management, marketing and finance to provide students a broad background in business while developing entrepreneurial skills and insights. The entrepreneurship curriculum emphasizes creativity, innovation and interpersonal skills.
Students learn to identify and evaluate business opportunities, acquire capital and other resources, and start, develop, grow and sell a business concept. Entrepreneurship Majors are encouraged to develop a business concept and make it a reality. A key component of the curriculum is a year-long experience in which juniors and seniors develop business plans for a company, ideally one that they will eventually start and operate themselves. Real-world experience is part of the bedrock of a Canisius business education. In some courses, entrepreneurship majors act as consultants to small businesses. With faculty guidance, students work on projects for and advise practicing entrepreneurs. Students gain valuable insight by examining failure as well as success and often help their clients fix what is going wrong.
The Entrepreneurship Major is career-oriented with courses built upon a business core but tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs. Students discover their innate entrepreneurial potential and develop a set of tools and perspectives to capitalize on it.
The Canisius program prepares students to
- acquire an existing business or franchise;
- start up a new venture;
- manage an existing family business for growth; and/or
- engage in intrapreneurship — the development of new products or programs — or the evaluation and pursuit of potential mergers or acquisitions within a mature corporation.
Career Opportunities
Gaining experience on their own is natural for Entrepreneurship Majors. Some Canisius University students start and run a business while still pursuing their degrees. A car detailing firm, a landscaping service, a small business promotional agency and a retail store are current examples. Virtually all graduates of the Canisius University entrepreneurship program are involved in their own business ventures.
Internships
The Entrepreneurship Major at Canisius University strongly emphasizes hands-on experience in addition to a high-quality curriculum.
Qualifications
Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA in their major and a 2.0 overall GPA to graduate with a degree in Entrepreneurship. All students must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours to graduate.
Advisement
All students should have an advisor in the major and should contact the department directly to have an advisor assigned if they do not already have one. Meetings with academic advisors are required prior to students receiving their PIN for course registration each semester. All majors should work closely with their advisor in discussing career expectations, choosing their major electives, developing their entire academic program and planning their co-curricular or supplemental academic experiences.
Double Majors
Students who wish to expand their educational opportunities may decide to declare a double major. This decision may be based on career goals, planned graduate studies, and/or other student interests. Before a student declares a double major, it is important to meet with the appropriate academic departments for advisement. In order to declare a double major, the student must complete the Major/Minor Declaration form. This form will be submitted electronically and reviewed and approved by each department chairperson as well as the appropriate associate dean.
Per university policy, each additional major requires a minimum of 15 credits that do not apply to the student's first or subsequent major. Some double major combinations can be completed within the minimum 120 credit hour degree requirement, but in other cases additional course work may be required. Please note that students will receive only one degree unless completing the dual degree requirement including at least 150 undergraduate credit hours, regardless of the number of majors they complete. Both (all) majors appear on a student’s transcript.
Minors in Other Disciplines
Minors provide students the opportunity to pursue additional interests but generally do not require as many courses as a major. Minors generally range from five to eight required courses. To receive a minor, the student must complete at least 9 credit hours of coursework distinct from their other credentials (i.e., majors, other minors). The complete list of minors is available on the Canisius website and in the catalog and provides links to each minor. Some majors and minors can be completed within the minimum 120 credit hour degree requirement, but in some cases additional coursework may be required. Students must complete the appropriate minor request form.
Curriculum
An Ignatian Foundation
All undergraduate students must complete either the Canisius Core Curriculum or the All-College Honors Curriculum. Many schools refer to their college-wide undergraduate requirements as "general education" requirements. We believe that the core curriculum and the honors curriculum are more than a series of required classes; they provide the basis for a Jesuit education both with content and with required knowledge and skills attributes that are central to our mission.
Free Electives
Students may graduate with a bachelor's degree with more but not less than 120 credit hours. Free electives are courses in addition to the Canisius Core Curriculum or All-College Honors Curriculum and major requirements sufficient to reach the minimum number of credits required for graduation. The number of credits required to complete a bachelor's degree may vary depending on the student's major(s) and minor(s).
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Business Core | ||
| Required courses for all business majors | 49-51 | |
| Additional Requirements for Entrepreneurship Major | ||
| ENT 110 | Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| ENT 410 | Launching and Growing Entrepreneurship Ventures | 3 |
| MGT 364 | Human Resources Management | 3 |
| MKT 320 | Consumer Behavior | 3 |
| Major Electives | ||
| Students must complete three of the following electives, only two of which may be ENT courses. | 9 | |
| Entrepreneurship and Family Business 1 | ||
| International Entrepreneurship 1 | ||
| Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability 1 | ||
| Entrepreneurship Independent Study | ||
| Organizational Behavior | ||
| Ethical Power and Influence for Leaders | ||
| Comparative Management Systems (International) | ||
| Introduction to Digital Media | ||
| Negotiation Theory and Practice | ||
| Intro Digital Marketing | ||
| Total Credits | 70-72 | |
Students in the Entrepreneurship major are expected to become members of the Canisius University Chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO) and/or member of the Canisius Innovation Lab (CIL).
Students majoring in both Entrepreneurship and Management must complete at least five, distinct courses not counted towards the Management major, including electives for the Management minor.
Roadmap
Recommended Semester Schedule for Major Course Requirements
| Freshman | |
|---|---|
| Fall | Spring |
| ENG 111 | ENT 110 |
| MAT 105, 111, or 115 | MGT 101 |
| RST 101 | ECO 102 |
| ECO 101 | ENG 112 |
| ISB 101 | MAT 106 (or Arts & Science Elective if MAT 109, MAT 111, or MAT 115 was taken in fall) |
| Business International Requirement | BUS 101 |
| FYE 101 | |
| Sophomore | |
| Fall | Spring |
| ACC 201 | ACC 202 |
| ECO 255 | FIN 201 |
| ISB 101 | PHI 101 |
| MKT 201 | ECO 256 |
| Business International Requirement | Business International Requirement |
| History (Field of Knowledge 4) | |
| BUS 201 | |
| Junior | |
| Fall | Spring |
| ENT Elective | ENT Elective |
| MKT 320 | MGT 325 |
| Philosophy (Field of Knowledge 2 w/ Ethics Attributes) | MGT 364 |
| Religious Studies (Field of Knowledge 1) | Arts (Field of Knowledge 3) |
| Science (Field of Knowledge 6) | Arts and Sciences Elective |
| Senior | |
| Fall | Spring |
| ENT 410 | MGT 446 |
| ENT Elective | Arts and Sciences Elective |
| MGT 370 | Free Elective |
| Core capstone | Free Elective |
| Arts and Sciences Elective | Free Elective |
Courses
ENT 101 Experiential Entrepreneurship: Creativity, Innovation, Opportunity, and Idea Generation 3 Credits
Provides a broad introduction to entrepreneurship and prepares students for developing a mindset for thinking creatively, using innovation, recognizing opportunities and generating entrepreneurial ideas. Other topics include strategic and tactical planning and entrepreneurial activities of an actual business enterprise. Students will participate in the "Business Idea Elevator Pitch Competition." Open to business and non-business majors including students from the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education and Human Services.
Fulfills College Core: Oral Communication
Offered: every spring.
ENT 110 Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship 3 Credits
Provides an insight into fundamentals of entrepreneurship with hands-on learning about the entrepreneurial mid-set and life, creativity, innovation, ideation, marketing, process of evaluating new venture opportunities, and pathways to entrepreneurial ventures. Open to business and non-business majors.
Offered: every spring.
ENT 201 Entrepreneurial Mind-Set and Foundations 3 Credits
Provides an understanding of the entrepreneurial process from both conceptual and applied perspectives. Topics include creativity, innovation, the characteristics of entrepreneurs, common issues encountered by entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial marketing, entrepreneurial finance, and organizational strategies for new business enterprises. Students will engage in entrepreneurial projects. Open to business and non-business majors.
Offered: every fall.
ENT 311 Entrepreneurship and Family Business 3 Credits
Provides students with an understanding of key concepts related to and challenges faced by family businesses. Students will learn about ways to foster healthy family businesses through the use of innovative tools and via hands-on learning. The course will explore how the dynamics of a family unit can both help and hinder the success of a business organization. Issues such as mentoring, succession planning and family creeds and councils, and the special problems of family businesses and other closely- held corporations will be explored. Attention will also be devoted to family business planning, effective governance approaches in family businesses, preparing heirs for entry into and management of family firms, and tax and compensation planning.
Prerequisite: ENT 110 or MGT 101, or by permission of the instructor. Restriction: junior or senior standing.
Offered: every fall.
ENT 312 International Entrepreneurship 3 Credits
Explores international entrepreneurship -- its dimensions and importance -- and how it differs from other areas of international business. Students learn to identify and analyze information available for entrepreneurs seeking to move internationally and to address the important strategic issues in international entrepreneurship. May be used as ENT and/or IBUS elective.
Prerequisite: ENT 110 or MGT 101, or by permission of the instructor. Restriction: junior or senior standing.
Offered: occasionally.
ENT 314 Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability 3 Credits
This practitioner-oriented course focuses on innovative, values-driven organizations which have explicit civic missions or social purposes and which are most typically associated with the not-for-profit sector of the economy. The chief aims of the course are to help students understand and appreciate the role of the nonprofit sector in creating societal wealth in the economy, to engage participants in institutional efforts to create a good society through exposure to the work of these organization, and to have students consider a variety of forms of involvement available to aspiring entrepreneurs in preparing for leadership roles in their communities.
Prerequisite: ENT 110 or MGT 101, or by permission of the instructor. Restriction: junior or senior standing.
Offered: every spring.
ENT 320 Social Entrepreneurship 3 Credits
Social entrepreneurship is a relatively recent business and research field that explores the practice of identifying, starting and developing successful entrepreneurial ventures that strive to advance social changes through innovative solutions. This course introduces students to both theory and practice of social entrepreneurship and provides them with the knowledge and abilities required for thinking entrepreneurial with a socially conscious business mindset.
Offered: occasionally.
ENT 401 Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship 3 Credits
Focuses on the most common problems encountered by owners, managers, and entrepreneurs in organizing and operating small enterprises. Topics include creativity, and innovation; entrepreneurial strategy; pursuing new venture opportunities; the new venture business plan; creative small business marketing; innovative small business management; financial management in the entrepreneurial firms; and legal requirements. Students will obtain entrepreneurial experience through working with entrepreneurs and small business enterprises.
Prerequisite: either ENT 201 or MGT 101, ACC 201, & MKT 201. Entrepreneurship majors must complete ENT 201. Restriction: junior standing or higher.
Offered: every spring.
ENT 402 Building a Business: From Idea to Venture Creation 3 Credits
Capstone course required of all entrepreneurship majors at the end of the program. Students develop an original idea for a new venture and write a comprehensive business plan for that venture. An integration of the theory and practice of entrepreneurship. The course focuses on identifying opportunities for a new venture and the process of starting and growing a new business. The business plan will apply key principles and concepts to real world situations. Students must participate the New York State Business Plan Competition and other required activities to complete this course to get a final grade during the following spring semester. Please note that this class counts as an Entrepreneurship Major Capstone class, but does NOT count toward the Canisius Core Curriculum.
Prerequisite: ENT 401 or MGT 101, ACC 201 and MKT 201. Restriction: junior or senior standing.
Offered: every fall.
ENT 410 Launching and Growing Entrepreneurship Ventures 3 Credits
Identify and evaluate an idea, assess the market, business planning and analysis applied to launching and growing entrepreneurial ventures. Topics include the lean launch pad, business plan, starting a small business, competitive analysis, strategic and managerial analyses, understanding the process of raising capital and how to speak to investors, and professional presentation methods. The class also provides interactive with entrepreneurs and local entrepreneurship professionals.
Prerequisites: ENT 110 or the combination of MGT 101, MKT 201, and ACC 201.
Offered: every fall.
ENT 495 WNY Prosperity Internship 3 Credits
WNY Prosperity Internship.
Offered: occasionally.
ENT 496 Internship in Entrepreneurship 1-3 Credits
Non-routine job experiences that link specific entrepreneurship topics and academic concepts with practical experience. Requires supervision by faculty and student demonstration of academic value through papers and reports. Internships require an application and approval by the associate dean.
Prerequisite: student must complete a WSB Internship Application and obtain permission of a faculty supervisor, department chair, & the associate dean.
Offered: fall, spring, & summer.
ENT 499 Entrepreneurship Independent Study 1-4 Credits
Limited availability and only available by application and approval by the associate dean.
Prerequisite: student must complete a WSB Independent Study Application and obtain permission of a faculty supervisor, department chair, & the associate dean.
Offered: occasionally.
